Derse-Prospitian War
The Derse-Prospitian War was a massive conflict between the two societies. It was waged by the Black King of Derse , and culminated in his death, the defeat of the Dersite military and subsequent destruction of Derse's civilization, and a revolt against the Dersite Royalty that caused the abdication of the Black Queen . This allowed for the creation of Midnight City by Spades Slick . The Black King declared war on Prospit over religion and power, after being persuaded to by Doc Scratch . Background to the War A presumably unsteady peace between Prospit and Derse was held prior to the war. Both armies were quite powerful, though likely not nearly as powerful as Alternia's. Doc Scratch could be seen on Derse in years prior to the war, sharing close ties with the Royalty. He persuaded the Black King into building up Derse's armies in preparation for an upcoming war. Declaration of War The Black King declared war, under the advisory of Doc Scratch. Justified by religion, the war was likely fought mostly for power and monetary gain. Death of the Black King The Black King was a Warlord, fighting alongside his troops. The progress of the war up until this point was uncertain, with both sides bearing heavy losses. The unexpected death of the Black King — slain in combat — turned the tide of the war towards a Prosptian victory. The Black King led his troops into an unwinnable battle, his assault intercepted by the bulk of the Prosptian army. Rumors of sabotage circulated, saying that someone had leaked their strategy to Prospit. The veracity of these claims is uncertain, but the result is clear — the Black King lost the war, tricked into walking into his own death by Scratch. The war quickly turned into a downward spiral, as did Dersite nationalism and support for the Monarchy. The Dersite army began employing mercenaries from Earth and Alternia, recognizing its declining power. Revolution and the Queen's Abdication With the Black King dead, the Prospitians turned the war around, decimating the Dersite armies. Massive casualities on the battlegrounds led to massive unrest at home. The Black Queen, blamed for military losses, became the subject of mass scrutiny and fury, and eventually, blame for the war itself. Both supporters of peace and vehement war advocates turned their accusatory eyes to her. One voice for peace, a peasant farmer dubbed the Warweary Villein, sparked a major rural refusal of Royal power. The voice of the peasants reached the outlying cities and quickly spread, becoming a major threat to the Queen's power. Eventually, the Revolution became too fierce, and the Black Queen was forced to abdicate, fearing an execution at the hands of her people. Defeat of Derse Derse was unable to come to a decision about the leadership of the state. Various factions scrambled for power, and divided the Empire along ideological lines. Derse, without a leader, was no match for the Prospitian onslaught. Though the Dersite armies refused to surrender, without a solid battle strategy, they were crushed. Derse's fate was left up to Prospit. Prospit showed no mercy. They leveled the defenseless planet, reducing the once-proud empire to ashes. Aftermath What little remained on Derse struggled to survive as a civilization. Midnight City was built upon the ruins, organized by Spades Slick, a human who enlisted in the Dersite Army during the war. A push for a new government resulted in a quickly-drawn democratic consititution being drafted, but competing interests caused the government to ebb in power. Slick's gang, the Midnight Crew, capitalized on the chaos and secured the city for themselves. Slick, enraptured by the Noir feel of the 1920s on Earth, molded the city's culture. Self-imposed restrictions on technology were written into law, in hopes of preserving an isolationist peace. The old Derse's anti-immigration policies were no more, replaced by strict importation codes that served to keep the population culturally — instead of racially — homogenous. Midnight City began to grow into a state of self-sufficiency, thanks to the organization of the Midnight Crew and the funds of the Directing Seraph Trust, going from wasteland to bustling in a mere 16 years.